Technically if you want any dinner party to follow correct ettiquite, the cheese-board course should come before dessert, but like many people outside France I choose to serve it after my post about food that included some of the sweet stuff.

Philistine, I know, but I’m half Dutch and shouldn’t any meal (or in this case, arty blog post series) be ended with any food lovers dream: ….cheese?
My very last post in this current Rijksmuseum series is, Yes you guessed it, another favourite painting of mine, that has cheese s it’s main ingredient and subject title.

Since I know this painting from my Art History study days, it is not a new one to me, but it is the very first time I have seen it in the flesh, up close in all of it’s painted detail.

The Dutch Masters excelled with Still Life as their subject matter, they painted with the insight you get when the items painted are things you have grown up with, and who knows, maybe cheese was one of the everyday items around home that they practiced painting when they were young, raw artists, before finding their place and spreading their wings to wider fame? The cheese in the background was probably made with the same farmhouse process still used today, certainly it looks like any one of the aged cheeses available in my local cheese shop. The real genius of this painting is however, the painting as a “whole”, the background is no afterthought, in fact the attention paid to the damask tablecloth defies explanation when seen up close.

Painting white detail on an almost white tablecloth is hard enough, painting it as the cloth falls over the edge of the table or falls under the shadow of the place on which the grapes stand, blows my mind. Then there is the detail on the pale red section of the cloth, the pattern is fine, delicate and done with a hand so steady that three hundred years before the photography was invented, has almost become photographic. I’m not alone in these thoughts either, the information board reads:
“Still Life with Cheese“, Oil on panel circa 1615 by Floris Claesz van Dijck (1575-1651)
“Fruit, bread and cheese, grouped by type, are set on a table covered with costly damask tablecloths. The illusion of reality is astounding: the pewter plate extending over the edge of the table seems close enough to ouch. The Haarlem painter Floris van Dijck ranked among the pioneers of Dutch still-life painting.”

We are almost finished with our visit in the Rijksmuseum, but first my friends and I want to have some lunch.

After a small glitch (we came out of the lift into the restaurant and tried to ask for a table, it was then pointedly pointed out to us that the queue for the tables went down the stairs and that we were trying to jump the queue… yes, Duh, of course in a wheelchair and not having used the stairway, I missed that!).

We waited a while and got a table in the middle of the remodelled café / restaurant area.

The entire seating area could have been bigger… but ok.

Like any other tourist venue the portions are small and the prices are not, but we were all hungry so ordered anyway.

I had a salad and hot chocolate (they didn’t have my preferred herbal tea), my one of my friends had a mushroom vol au vont plus a coffee, the other had a creamy dessert and an advocaat.

The food certainly wasn’t bad, but I think I definitely got the best deal of the three of us. We are all tired, and we can take our time to eat since it will take Himself one hour to come from the Hague and pick us up. Let’s take a look….

First an apology becuase my drug infused brain didn’t realise that I had labelled six additional “preperation” posts with the same date as yesterday’s one so you ended up with one real post and six empty ones. I’m sorry, I should check these things better. meanwhile to today:

I have been delighting in my first visit to Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, my eyes opening wider and wider with every new discovery, and in awe of many of the amazing works, not just the world famous paintings that are displayed as the prominent draw-cards for locals, scholars, artists and tourists.

Amazingly I have not even covered one entire floor of the three that the museum offers, nor seen some of the special exhibits and exhibitions that change throughout the year.

The use of a wheelchair made my visit possible, attempting to cover this amount of distance and space on crutches would simply have not been remotely possible.

I have to mention one criticism though and it’s a big one: We asked twice where the public toilets were and both times were directed to the basement floor.

Getting there in the wheelchair wasn’t as easy as it sounds, it was a busy day and there was a queue of people waiting for the lifts, some were older, some had push-chairs and I was (at that moment) the only wheelchair user in the queue, but or some reason there were what (appeared!) to be lots and lots of able bodied people queuing for one of the two small lifts too.

A few accompanying family members I could understand, but the waiting crowd was such that I to wait for the fifth time that the lift came to our floor before I could get downstairs to the public toilet area.

Once there, I was also disappointed: it appears that there is only one set of lavatories for the public in the entire building, so needless to say there were queues here too.

Worse still there seemed to be only one solitary disabled toilet outside in the corridor, and not only did I need to wait ages for one seemingly fit middle-aged gent to exit, when I got in with the chair, the toilet was really small and no sooner had I closed the door when someone on the outside started jiggling the handle very thirty seconds or so.

I called through the door that it was occupied, but they still kept rattling the door handle.

In spite of limited mobility and space, I finished as fast as I could, and when I exited I was met by an impatient middle lady who I judged to be in her sixty’s, very smartly dressed in pearls and a tailored suit who frowned at me and pushed past in an unmistakably rude manner to go in with a gusto that in no way suggested disability. Of course I am one of the first to admit that disability is not always visible but sometimes you just get the idea that some people think that queuing in the crowd for the “regular” toilets is beneath them and it was this rather than genuine need that I felt strongly on this occasion.

I realise fully that this a historic building and that some alterations have to work around the building itself but since the Rijksmuseum has just been closed for a ten year renovation and new areas have been added, it seems inconceivable that the toilet facilities are so cramped and so few for the large numbers of visitors in the building.

I do have to say however that this is my only significant gripe with the entire museum, and the galleries where the paintings are get top marks. My friends and I escape the toilet queues and head back up to the new inner enclosed “courtyard” area. There we spy statues modelled around Greek mythology themes… yet another positive thing to admire as our visit comes to a close.

Coming to the end of this tour of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, I find different paintings interesting for different reasons.

The main reason something catches my eye is of course that there is a high level of detail in a painting, or the fine rendering of marble to produce mind-bendingly realistic forms.

In some paintings of cloth and clothing, the skill of the artists leaves the viewer in awe, in other painting the subject of the portrait stares directly out at the viewer in a mixture of confidence, defiance and curiosity, so you almost get the feeling that you need to apologise to them for staring.

Here I have rounded up a few of the last photographs taken from various galleries, Let’s take a look…

“The Music Lesson“, Oil on panel, 1808 by Louis Moritz (1773-1850)
“Like “The Drawing Lesson” (by the same artist) “The Music Lesson” is set in an interior with a view through to another space. Above the door is marble relief of the Greek god Apollo playing his lyre. The two women are practicing a duet for guitar and voice under the direction of their music teacher. According to tradition, the painter himself served as the model for the teacher.”

“The Tomb of Michiel de Ruyter in the Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam” Oil on canvas 1683, Emanuel de Witte (1617-1692)‘Visitors are admiring Admiral de Ruyter’s imposing tomb monument. It occupies the place where the main altar once stood when the Nieuwe Kerk was still a Catholic church. Monumental marble tomb is a tribute to the naval hero, who died in 1676 off the coast of Sicily at the age of 69. It was designed by the sculptor Rombout Verhulst. De Ruyter’s son commissioned this painting.”

June 17, 2016

Yesterday’s post, with the amazing portrait of Napoleon, had of course, many stunning elements of detail. Since I had too many photographs for one blog post yesterday, I put some of the detail photographs into an overflow post today.. enjoy!

Of course I should have realised that the large painting in my yesterday’s post probably had the Battle of Waterloo as it’s subject matter.

Further on I find another information panel, plus the main one that I should probably have found earlier when I entered this Rijksmuseum gallery.

“1815: Waterloo and William I”
“Those born in the Netherlands in 1800 would have experienced many political upheavals during their lifetime.

In 1806 the French emperor Napoleon transformed the Batavian Republic into the Kingdom of Holland, with his brother Louis Napoleon as king.

In 1810 Napoleon took personal charge of the Netherlands, which he made a department of France. When the French were driven from the Netherlands in 1813 the House of Orange returned to power.

At the battle of Waterloo in 1815, the northern and southern Netherlands were combined into a single kingdom, under King William I. This was not lasting union, however, for the southern provinces seceded in 1830 and formed the Kingdom of Belgium. Both Louis Napoleon and William I felt it important for their subjects to identify themselves primarily as Netherlanders, rather than as citizen of , say Amsterdam or Limburg.

Their efforts to create a greater sense of national unity included focusing attention on national history and culture. In 1820 the same standardised units of measurement – the metre, the kilogram and the litre, were introduced throughout the realm.

“Portrait of Emperor Napoleon I“, Oil on canvas Paris 1805-1815, from the studio of Francois Pascal Simon, Baron Gerard (1770-1837)
” On 02 December 1804 the Corsican-born general Napoleon proclaimed himself Emperor of France. State portrait, such as this painting, were distributed throughout the land. The ermine mantle, staff and throne manifest the power of the Emperor. ”

The next Rijksmuseum gallery is entitled: “Painting and sculpture 1800-1830” and is filled with mostly paintings and works of sculpture.

At the far end of the room is a very large painting that attracts a semi-permanent crowd and depicts a battle scene where some General or V.I.P. is being carted off from the battlefield.

The crowd of visitors mean that I am unable to see any information about the painting so at first I assume that this a depiction of the Crimean War, but since that took place from 1853-1856, it dates too late for any image of it to be included in this gallery.

I therefore assume that this painting depicts one of the dozen or so Napoleonic Wars that took place between 1800 and 1830.

I am here less of an interest in military history and more of an interest in the artist detail in the painting so I zoom in on some of the detail when I get the chance. Other paintings fill the walls but now that it is later in the day, the gallery is packed and getting photographs becomes more difficult. The information board announcing the title of the gallery reads:

“King Louis Napoleon and King William I did their best to stimulate Dutch Art. The Koningklijk Museum, forerunner of the Rijksmuseum, was brought to Amsterdam in 1808 by Louis Napoleon. The prestigious works of art from the past on display there provided inspiration for contemporary artists.

Louis Napoleon established a royal subsidy for promising artists, which William I subsequently continued as the Prix de Rome. This stipend enabled winner to spend several years working in Paris and Rome at the state’s expense.

Their paintings and sculptures were accepted in the Koninklijk Museum’s collection. Artists who went to Italy brought a new style and new subjects back to the Netherlands.

Large exhibitions of contemporary art for sale led to a revival in the market for Dutch painting. While the legacy of 17th-century painting remained important, winds of change were also blowing though the art world.

A new realism gave painting of this period an unmistakably contemporary appearance, with everyday subjects painted in clear, sometimes cool, colours. ”

“Portrait of Antonio Canova (1757-1822)”, Carrara Marble Rome 1822-1825, attribute to Adamo Tadolini (1788-1868). “The frail old man is Antonio Canova, the most celebrated sculptor in Europe around 1800, and a model for many of Rome’s young artists. Despite it’s lifelike appearance, the sculpture wa made after Canova’s death, based on his death mask. Perhaps it’s was Adamo Tadolini who made the sculpture: he was one of Canova’s last assistants and may have intended this a a tribute to his former master.”

“Portrait of Cornelis Apostool“, marble circa 1817, by Paulus Joseph Gabriel (1784-1834)
“Apostool was the first director of the Koningklijke Museum in Amsterdam, forerunner of the Rijksmuseum. His portrait was sculpted by the royal sculptor Paulus Gabriel, who chose a Classical form whereby Apostool’s head appears to emerge naturally from bock of stone. This type of portrait, known as a “herm” was used usually reserved for busts of artists and art lovers“.

“Portrait of Pope Leo XII“, Marble. Rome 1827, by Louis Royer (1793-1868)
“The sculptor Louis Royer studied in Rome during the years 1823 to 1827. A highpoint of this period was undoubtedly his portrait of Pope Leo XII. Unusually, the pope posed personally for the young artist. This was not only important for Royer’s reputation, but also ensured that the bust was a good likeness.”

This next painting caught my attention because of the way the dress has been painted so realistically.

The fabric is soft and so realistic that it amazes me how a white garment can be rendered with the use of white paint and grey, and yet not look muddy, dull or just grey in the final version.

The creases look lifelike, the edges look as sewn fabric should, the texture of the fabric makes it look like real fabric and the result takes my breath away.

“Portrait of Emma Jane Hodges“, Oil on canvas circa 1810 by Charles Howard Hodges.
“Emma jane Hodges was devoted to her father, the painter Charles Howard Hodges, who gave her drawing lessons and painted this dreamy portrait of her.

She is about twenty years old and dressed in gown of the latest fashion, with a ruffles double collar and elbow-length gloves of chamois leather. Emma Jane bequeathed this portrait to the Rijksmuseum in her will, together with her father’s self-portrait.”

It’s a demonstration of how skilled these artists were, that the level of detail they achieved and the techniques they used to achieve them were something built up over a lifetime, but started with brilliant classical training in mastering the art of the medium they were working with. This painting in oils is definitely one to add to my Inspiration folder, my “favourites” file is rapidly growing!

The Rijksmuseum has an impressive range of objects on show, and the central cabinets in some of the galleries give one surprise after another.

In this post I am combining the contents of two such diaplay cabinets, one of decorated plates and the other of the first offical standard Europen weights and measures.

I knew that the Nether-Lands (Low Lands) had once (and I think, actually more than once) been an area that combined the current county with what is now modern day Belgium, but I never knew that Luxemburg was included as well at any point.

I also did not know that it was Napoleon that introduced the standardised European metric system… a system now used world wide with the exception of only three countries: United States, Myanmar and Liberia.

It just goes to show, you can learn something new every day!

“18 plates, each decorated with a Netherlandish province“, hard-paste porcelain, gold leaf Paris 1822. painted decoration: monogrammist RD (possibly Raimond Dufour 1784-1847)
“These plates refect the period then the Netherlands and Belgium together formed the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1830). The kingdom consisted of 17 provinces plus the grand duchy of Luxemburg. The gold decortion is in the neo-clasical style. On the upper edge are the arms of each province in gold on the blue border: the arms of the United Kingdom of The Netherlands are on the lower side. Today the Netherlands consists of 12 provinces.”

“Weights and Measures“
“In the past, units of weight and measurement differed from place to place. Napoleon decided to enforce the use of a single systen: the metre, the kilogram and the litre. The precise values were estabished at a confernce held in Paris in 1799. To prevent discrepancies, the Dutch (and other) delegates were given this iron metre and a copper kilogram. The eight Dutch additional standard volume measures date from 1820.”

My love of statues is indulged yet again in just one turn of a corner in the Rijksmuseum… I couldn’t find a name plate for this one so don’t know who it is by, but judging by what appears to be a slingshot, the subject appears to be David from the biblical David and Goliath fame. The differing angles produced different light but once again I am reminded why I love classical sculpture…